Archive for the ‘Missouri fishing’ Tag

It is snowing and cold outside.This is a time to find some outdoor activity that relates to fishing to keep busy. Perhaps it is time to work on a tackle system.

This system is dependent upon your planed fishing. It is simple if all of the fishing is from a single boat for one species. If wading, then organization takes some planning for weight and limited storage space. There are just so many pockets in a fishing vest.

Maybe your plan is to fish for different species in different locations under a variety of conditions. It is easier to have a number of tackle boxes. Then label the boxes by species which you anticipate finding.

A simple way to keep tackle separate is to use clear plastic tackle boxes. They come in a variety of sizes with moveable dividers. Into each box go lures for a specific species.

Check to see if any lures need hook replacement or other repair. Advance checking saves time later on the water. Why spend time sharpening hooks when there are fish out there for the catching?

In a single box, you may put a few lures that work on the surface, with some that are deep diving. Just to be on the safe side add some that work in between those areas. When it comes to soft plastics, also put several of each favorite color in zip lock bags and add to the boxes. Putting them in the plastic bags prevents the colors from bleeding into each other.

For live bait fishing all terminal tackle goes in these same boxes. There is a variety of hooks and a selection of weights and/or floats.

For wade fishing and fly fishing, small plastic boxes which fit into pockets are good idea. It is also good to include a few lures for each situation for unexpected situations.

Label each box as to species. An additional box holds, a few band aids, a knife, compass, flashlight, pliers and forceps.

When it comes time to go fishing, add the boxes you need in day pack. Add a camera and take off.

This is not the only system in the world. But, any system is better than none. Once you have a place for everything and everything in its place, you can concentrate on catching fish.

Are you looking for reel screeching runs from a big brawny fish that is sure to break tackle? The striper is hard to beat. For anglers in a number of Illinois lakes these transplants pay big dividends in fishing action.

The striper is a saltwater relative of the white bass. It resembles the white, but is more elongated and less compressed with a nearly straight back. The color of the striper is a dark greenish to bluish on top with sometimes a brassy tinge that becomes lighter on the sides. The underside is silvery. Most prominent are the seven to eight narrow stripes along the sides going lengthwise giving rise to their name. Weights vary, but generally they reach about 5 pounds by their third year. Anglers are now catching fish in the 20 plus range.

Originally a salt water fish that returned to freshwater only to spawn, the striper became popular with freshwater biologists in the 1940’s. When Santee Cooper Lake in South Carolina became an impoundment it trapped some stripers that had gone up the river to spawn. The fish thrived in this freshwater environment as they gobbled up the numerous shad of the lake.

Biologists taking note of the situation began to stock them in other large freshwater lakes in the eastern U.S. The successful stocking efforts created a new fishing opportunity for open-water anglers on large reservoirs.

Stripers do not usually reproduce naturally in fresh water and require restocking by local state fishery departments. Myths about stripers depleting populations of other game fish are false. Biological study or surveys have established this fact.

Feeding on gizzard shad, they provide a service to the other populations of game fish in that they are the only predator feeding on the larger shad which are too big for other predators. Adult stripers eat primarily shad and do not eat spiny fish like black bass, white bass, or crappie.

One key to locating stripers seems to be stable water levels. In the early days, local anglers caught some of the stripers, but not consistently. The marauding schools moved up and down the lakes.

Although stripers spend most of the year roaming deep open water in pursuit of shad, they seem to be fond of the dam tailwaters. Anglers move in and cast both lures and live bait into the fast moving waters.

Heavy bass gear will work for these fish. A medium or heavy rod and bait‑cast reel with 15 plus pound monofilament line will work well. A 7 foot rod with a flexible tip is a good choice. The flexible tip allows the fish to grab the bait without meeting with a lot of resistance before they are safely hooked.

The fish’s voracious eating habits allow it to gobble up the bait before the angler is even aware of the strike. They hook themselves. The bait on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle style hooks seem to be the most popular.

Some stripers will take topwater lures such as the Cordell Redfins trolled in the early morning hours. Later, one can move up close to dams and locks to cast large jigging spoons and Sassy Shad. One ounce jigs with plastic bodies in pearl or white seem to work well.

Electronics locate the large schools of fish as they chase the shad. Once a school is located, anglers either jig or trolls lure or live bait on downriggers. The jigging is more exciting and productive.

Downstream from dams or locks rip rap banks attract stripers. The gizzard and threadfin shad are attracted to the plankton and algae in the rocks. The stripers follow them in and feast on the shad.

Basically, the striper will go anywhere that there is a current break and a good food supply.

Fishing for stripers is an exciting sport and if you decide to keep a couple, they are excellent eating.

We often refer to the basics of fishing as a rod and reel and some terminal tackle. Yet there is nothing more “basic” than fishing with a cane pole. To many it began a fishing career and a lifetime of fond memories.

Today’s fishing poles and rods come in a seemingly endless variety of lengths, materials and shapes. Yet, they all owe their beginnings to the cane pole. Early anglers simply chopped down a bamboo or river cane stalk, tied a line to it containing a fishing hook baited with an insect or worm.

Back in the “stone age” when I was a youngster, my grandmother introduced me to the pleasures of fishing with a bamboo pole on a tailwater below the Mitchel Dam in northern Iowa. I was probably about 4 or 5 years of age. We only caught one fish that day but it was a bass of about 6 or 7 pounds. We did put it on the scale but I have forgotten just how much it weighed.

That summer I was allowed to fish with the bamboo pole at a creek on her farm and in the horse tank where she released some bullheads. It was a great summer.

Anglers can use a cane pole out of a boat, from shore, or from a dock. It works in rivers, streams, creeks, ponds and lakes. Its limber nature allows one to notice the slightest jerk from a fish.

You can keep the short line tight with a couple of sinkers and when a fish nibbles, one just jerks straight up. Jerking quickly is best. But, don’t try to rip their lips.

The angler with a cane pole has to contrive to catch fish within the limit of the poles’ reach. That reach is only the length of the pole and line, less the distance from the butt to the grip. Without a float (bobber) this distance could be as much as 20 feet. But, as the bait sinks, the distance gets less due to the bait swinging in a pendulum fashion back toward the angler.

Without a float, the angler can lower the pole until it is horizontal with the surface of the water. That will place the bait roughly 10-feet deep.

A cane pole requires an angler be stealthy when approaching fish due to the limit of their tackle. He must read shoreline water and know where to find fish. The shoreline also tells them what kind of bottom to expect. Different species of fish like different bottom structure.

Cane pole fishermen might look for short stretches of rocks and gravel. Or for largemouth he might pick the weedy shoreline in low places where black dirt and vegetation is visible and where areas off shore are over grown. The vegetation might be lily pads, coontail, cattails and rushes.

Areas below bluffs would be perpendicular and go to a depth beyond reach. It is vital to find areas of modest depth reachable by this equipment. It serves as home to forage fish upon which game fish can feed.

Use care to avoid spooking the fish in clear water situations. Shallows containing lots of emergent vegetation or weed beds provide the angler some concealment and a better chance of getting closer to fish.

The kind of bait used or strength of line varies according to the angler’s preference and species he is seeking.

For some it is fun to return occasionally to cane pole fishing and meet the challenge it presents. Such anglers experience the peace and tranquility of a type of fishing many of us grew up experiencing.

As we move into fall fishing the selection and use of a crankbait takes a little thought. Many find its use too complicated and limit their selection to just a few baits.

In the tackle stores one finds countless types and colors of this lure. The variations involve many colors and bills or varying sizes.

As far as what crankbait to run when the selection is dependent on the depth of the fish’s location in the water column. Bass might be in two feet or 22-feet of water. If fish are shallow it calls for a lure that runs shallow. If they are deep then one with a larger bill is required to the lure run deeper.

The shallow running crankbait is often preferable for fish that are not aggressive enough for a spinnerbait to be successful. The crankbait is good for these finicky fish.

Some people trim the bill of a crankbait to make it run shallower. Others just switch to one with a smaller bill. The main requirement of crankbait fishing is that the bait runs straight. It means that you are getting its maximum depth and best action.

There is one exception to this rule. One can detune a crankbait if fishing along a dock and you want the lure to run underneath it. You can detune it to run to the side. But for most situations you want the lure to run straight.

There is a physical toll on the angler when fishing with crankbaits. The deep diving crankbaits can wear one out. In an effort to counter act this physical tool anglers will use a 7-foot cranking rod for deep diving baits and a 6-foot 6-inch one for the smaller baits as well as tight conditions. A rod with a flexible tip also absorbs a lot of the pull during a retrieve. With a really stiff rod that pulls is harder on the angler.

To polish crankbait fishing skills go to a lake that has good crankbait potential. Take everything out of the boat except the bait and equipment related to crankbait fishing. It forces one to learn the techniques necessary if you do not have any alternative. It forces you to figure out how to catch fish with a crankbait.

Crankbait fishing may not be the easiest pattern to learn. But, it is a great tool that is productive once you learn how to use it.

Buzzing mosquitoes are deafening in still morning air. A river flows along slowly to some unknown destination. A float suddenly disappears beneath the surface jolting a fisherman back to the present.

It is not just any fish that took that float under, it was a channel catfish. The forked-tailed channel and his sluggish flathead cousin are the most frequently encountered member of the catfish family. Maybe gamefish are just prettier but none can match the catfish pound for pound in the fighting ability.

Fishermen with long poles and smelly baits prowl the banks of rivers. Mostly they concentrate on the large rivers systems. However, there are some big fish found in the smaller waterways.

Large catfish move from larger rivers into the feeder waters to spawn. Many find areas to their liking and remain as king of the waterway. The competition for forage is not great and they tend to grow old and fat in these smaller waters.

Channel catfish will seek out areas where fast water turns into slow flowing water. Cats like current breaks. Shore anglers look for a point of land or a large tree that has fallen into the water and blocks the current. Often the flowing water will wash out a hole and the big cats move into it.

Cats take up residence on the downstream side of the hole and move up to the edge on the upstream side to feed. Then they return to the slack water to rest in peace. The angler who casts to the upstream areas from these holes can allow their bait to float into the fish’s feeding area.

Early in the day, it is a good idea to fish any water were fast moving current meets slower current. Catfish feed along slack water borders.

Downstream, rocks that break the speed of the water current are good locations for finding fish. An eddy forms behind them and fish stack up waiting for food washing to them. By casting upstream of these areas, anglers can allow their bait to float right to the waiting fish. As with the holes, the fish feed on the upstream side and rest downstream.

Regardless of the water, it is a good idea to remember that catfish prefer cover. They feed near the bottom and around rocks and stumps. Often they will stay in the deep water near structure except when feeding. During warm water periods they move up to feed in shallow flats late in the day and during the night. In the morning they move under any existing vegetation such as weed cover or submerged logs. Once the water warms to the point they are uncomfortable, they will return to the deeper water.

Tackle for catfishing is simple. It usually involves along pole or rod. It can vary from a simple cane pole to the more sophisticated graphite or fiberglass rod. The rod must be sensitive enough to detect a bite, yet stout enough to horse in the big ones. Most are 7 feet or more in length. Ideally it will have a stiff center section and flexible tip.

The reel must cast well; have a smooth drag and preferably a clicker mode.

Nightcrawlers, crayfish and minnows make good baits. For those who do not mind a mess, cheese baits and cut pieces of bait fish are effective. Sucker, shad and chubs are good bait fish.

Rigs for catfish fishing are uncomplicated regardless of the bait used. There are four basic styles. The first is a swivel tied to the line and a 12-inch leader down to the bait. The second rig is a variation of that with a snap attached to a short leader of 6-inhes or less. These two rigs are popular with dip bait anglers as they permit the quick change of dip bait worms.

The third rig is a three-way swivel tied to the main line. A 6-inch drop line holds a heavy lead sinker. The third part of the swivel ties to a 12-inch leader holding the bait.

A fourth rig involves a slip float that is held in place by a bead and stop knot. The movable stop allows for the adjustment of the float to control the depth of the bait. The line continues to a swivel, weight to hold the bait near the bottom in slow water areas.

In all of these cases the swivel prevents a twisting catfish from tangling the line as it attempts to get off the hook. Speaking of hooks, Kale and circle hooks seem the best bet as they aid the fish in hooking himself as he grabs the bait.

Summertime is catfish time when anglers enjoy a banquet of fishing opportunities. Do not neglect those channel catfish.

With falls cooling waters the fishing around the relatively shallow areas of docks begins to pick up.

Most approaches to fishing boat docks focus on approaching from the open water. There is another kind of dock fishing, that of fishing from the dock.

Growing up in the 50’s we did all of our fishing from shore or a boat dock. Most of it was from boat docks on Clear Lake, a large spring fed body of water in north-central Iowa.

Dad knew some people who had summer cottages on the lake and would allow us to fish from their dock in the evening. When none of their docks was available there was always a commercial dock that charged a fee to fish from it. It had a small restaurant that served great hot dogs and also sold nightcrawlers and minnows. The last resort was one of the state or city docks available for free but often crowded with anglers.

The only real advantage of using the public docks was a chance to learn other people’s techniques for catching fish. It provided a youngster with a chance to see what worked and what did not.

The first rule I learned was that fish followed the edges of weed beds in search of forage fish that fed on the insects that called the weed home. Casting to the weeds sticking up out of the water would yield a bullhead or two.

From there is was a simple step to bobber fishing at about 18 inches deep in the more open water between the dock and the weeds. Stripers as we called them would take a minnow suspended below the bobber and give a thrilling bit of action. These were actually small striped bass.

Blue gills and sunfish congregate around a specific dock piling and are easy to jig for by dropping a piece of worm on a hook. You just lower it down and bring it up. Somewhere along the way a little sunny will grab hold.

Basic patterns came from experimentation and from old timers who would sit on the benches and tell a youngster how to catch fish.

Some of the fishing technique learned during those golden summer days was simple but often overlooked.

Most docks are private property. To gain access, one must get permission from the shoreline owner. Not doing so is to trespass an offense that can result in a fine or worse. A better choice is to find public docks or piers. Many state parks have such facilities.

Choose a fishing location by observing the wind. Fish follow the forage blown toward shore. Docks located on the downwind side of a body of water are a haven for forage fish and the larger predatory fish follow.

Night is a good time for catfish and walleye. Fishing from a dock at night can be a very pleasant experience. The night time on a lake is one of peace and quiet. It is a very relaxing environment. Other good times for dock fishing are early morning and sunset. Low light conditions cause fish to lower their alertness to danger.

The end of a dock is usually in the deepest water. But along its length are locations that attract certain species of fish, like the bluegill and sunfish. They were in about 3 feet of water about half way down the dock. They were there because no one looked for them there and they found food washed in from deeper water as well as shade from the sun.

Many docks have artificial and natural structure within casting distance. The secret is to find them and remember where they are for next time. You find them by watching other anglers. They will cast to their honey-hole locations. If they cast to a certain spot more than once it is a sure tipoff that they have caught fish there on more than one occasion.

Being observant and paying attention to what others are saying pays off in dock fishing. One day while eating a hamburger in that restaurant at the commercial dock one guy was telling another that the best action he gets were catfish just off the 4th post on the dock. He said he suspended a nightcrawler on a small hook about 18-inches under a bobber. After the two of them had gone home, I moved to that location and did as the man said. By the time dad came to pick me up, three 5 pound catfish were dancing on my stringer. That spot would yield many more over the years.

There is no telling what was down there to attract those fish. Whatever it was produced fish for several years.

Over the dock fishing years a pattern in the use of tackle has developed. Use a casting rod to reach out away from the dock. At the same time use another rod to drop a bobber and bait up close to the dock in hope of drawing a fish out from the shade under it.

Terminal tackle is simple. It consists of ultra light, but visible bobbers, a few different sizes of bait hooks, and bait, either minnows or nightcrawlers. Cut the nightcrawlers into thirds to extend the amount of bait available.

Night fishing becomes important in summer for two basic reasons weather and recreational pressure. The heat and humidity of the day is often oppressive. The cooler temperatures of evening bring out feeding fish as well as anglers looking for relief. Recreational boating pressures make the daylight hours less productive for fishermen.

As the weather fronts pass through they set off thunderstorms. Usually a late afternoon situation, these storms present dangerous situations from wind and lightning. When out in a boat or on shore, it wise to keep one eye on the horizon while fishing. But, the fishing can be really good just before and just after these storms pass through the area.

During summer, a fish’s metabolism is at a high point and he feeds frequently. The weather may be hot but there is a distinct lack of fronts going through to upset his lifestyle. The lush vegetation provides ambush pints for fish to lay in wait and allow hapless minnows to come to them. Competition for the forage from other fish is low, as the weeds tend to scatter fish of all species.

Surface water temperatures are warm and tend to be uncomfortable for fish. Small fish generally inhabit it as they try to escape the big guys who are trying to eat them. The larger fish are deeper in their comfort zone.

Night fishing is not all that productive right after sunset. One can use those hours to get into position for the night action. By getting into position, one can be sure of finding just the right location for the evening’s activities. Know where all your tackle is in the boat so you can find it in the dark.

Once on the water at night, it is advisable to make sure the night vision is working. Do not look at bright lights, as it will spoil ones night vision for several minutes.

Night fishing is comfortable from an angler’s point of view. It is a time to soothe and heal. But, it also is a time when senses become more alert and fine-tuned to the environment.